Notable Female Personalities of the 21st Century!

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In the 21st century, we have some of the most inspiring female leaders in a variety of fields, from agriculture to health care to technology, who are making an impact on the national and international stage.

Women have continued to give their lives in the name of honor, and this year has been no exception. Despite all of the barriers, our women have repeatedly proven the world incorrect with their ground-breaking achievements.

We take a walk down memory lane with ten influential ladies who have won various awards and have made us proud of our country.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the epitome of female empowerment. She was the first African-American first lady of the United States, and she excelled in academics, studying at Princeton and Harvard. She is noted for organizing campaigns against childhood obesity and supporting women’s education chances.

She started the Let Girls Learn project in 2015 to encourage girls to attend and stay in school, and she shared tales and hardships from young women all across the world. “As a first lady, a mother, and a human being, I cannot walk away from these girls,” she wrote for The Atlantic, “and I vow to keep raising my voice on their behalf for the rest of my life.”

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a two-time Oscar Award winner, has strongly supported women’s rights. Her stunning short films have helped to break down social and cultural taboos that disproportionately affect rural women in Pakistan. Sharmeen was born in Karachi and studied journalism in the United States. It was here that I developed an interest in documentaries and filmmaking.

Chinoy became particularly interested in bringing attention to some of Pakistan’s more serious concerns, such as refugees, acid assaults, and honor killings. Saving Face, her documentary, won her an Academy Award in 2012. The film follows a Pakistani plastic surgeon as he performed acid-attack survivors’ reconstructive surgery. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, a short film she directed in 2015, earned her yet another Academy Award nomination.

It is based on the true story of Saba, a 19-year-old girl who escaped an honor killing by her father and uncle after falling in love with a boy she preferred. Sharmeen has provoked conversations regarding the situation of women in Pakistan with her on-the-ground storytelling approach. Sadly, she has received a lot of criticism for her efforts.

Dr. Sania Nishtar – health and development leader

Dr. Sania Nishtar, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, is regarded as a passionate leader who “acknowledges her field of work deeply.” Dr. Nishtar is a worldwide health and development leader who is leading the government’s main social protection program, Ehsaas, which is improving the lives of millions of Pakistanis and empowering women.

Dr. Nishtar has devoted her efforts to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, protecting the country’s most vulnerable citizens, and improving Pakistan’s health institutions. She holds a doctorate from King’s College London and has received multiple national awards.

Sana Mir – Cricket star

Whenever it comes to women’s cricket in Pakistan, Sana Mir is the first name that comes to mind. “For many years, Mir has been the face of Pakistan women’s cricket and a true source of inspiration for the next generation of female cricketers… Sana smashed the glass ceiling for female cricketers in Pakistan with her perseverance and passion,” stated Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive officer Wasim Khan.

Sana Mir topped the women’s one-day international rankings in 2018. Since her debut in 2005, she has appeared in 226 international matches, captaining 137 of them. She is one of only nine women to take 100 ODI wickets and one of only five women to reach 1,000 runs in ODI cricket.

At the time of her retirement at the age of 34, she was ranked ninth among bowlers and the most successful female spinner.

Nigar Johar – Pakistan’s first woman three-star general

Lieutenant General Nigar Johar is Pakistan’s first female three-star general. In the year 2020, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

The officer has also been designated the Pakistan Army’s first female surgeon general. The officer, who comes from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Swabi area, began her career as a cadet in 1981. She also holds the distinction of being the first woman to command an armed forces hospital.

“I am the first lieutenant general in the region and the Muslim world, and I am extremely proud and humbled,” Lt Gen Nigar also added, “I have a big responsibility to lead my medical establishment to excellence.”

Muniba Mazari – activist, artist, motivational speaker

Muniba Mazari, Pakistan’s first United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, is a role model for many.  Mazari is a motivational speaker, writer, artist, singer, and activist. A car accident when she was 21 ruined her life and left her partially paralyzed.

However, the terrible pain she felt as a result of the accident became her strength, allowing her to connect with those who were suffering. She became an activist as a result of the event, encouraging women and girls who have faced discrimination or violence, raising awareness about child violence and abuse, and advocating for children’s education.

Parveen Rahman – social activist and hero of the poor

Parveen Rahman, a social activist, is an unsung hero in Pakistan who fought poverty and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the poor. She joined the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) in 1982 and has devoted her life to the development of poor communities, particularly the residents of Karachi’s Orangi Town, one of the world’s largest informal settlements.

“Parveen instilled in underprivileged communities the belief that they knew what was best for them and that accomplishing their goals could be accomplished via self-sufficiency and persuading the government to play a role,” her sister added.

Many believed her struggle to achieve legal land rights for the underprivileged incensed groups of land-grabbing criminals, therefore she was murdered outside her office in 2013. Arif Pervez, a friend of hers, said she had been receiving death threats for a long time, likely from the land-grabbing mafia.

Shazia Parveen – Pakistan’s first female firefighter

Shazia Parveen is the first female firefighter in Pakistan. She was only 22 when she joined the rescue service in the Punjab province’s Vehari area in 2010. With a passion and mission to save and serve the people, Parveen selected the tough profession. She worked as a fire instructor at the Punjab Emergency Services Academy in Lahore after putting out fires in fields and factories.

Surprisingly, many of her trainees were female. Parveen believes that her employment empowers her and that it would encourage other Pakistani women to seek non-traditional careers.

Karishma Ali – footballer and founder of sports school

Karishma Ali, a resident of Chitral’s remote valley, is the first female from her village to have represented Pakistan at the national and international level. Forbes has named the 22-year-old footballer one of the top 30 under 30 in the world. Karishma is the creator of the Chitral Women’s Sports Club, a girls’ sports training school.

Karishma hopes to inspire other young girls in the area to participate in sports and other activities, just like her father did for her. She also assisted in the establishment of a women’s handicraft center in Chitral, which is known for its Chitral embroidery, and the initiative led to her participation at Milan Fashion Week, where she showcased Pakistan’s unique handcraft.

Jehan Ara – tech leader

The Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) is managed by Jehan Ara. She is a motivator, an entrepreneur, a social activist, and a strong supporter of extending the power and usage of information and communication technology to empower communities.

She has worked in Pakistan, Hong Kong, the UAE, and the Far East for 29 years in marketing, communications, and interactive new media. She’s also fighting for legislation to protect online privacy and data.

Jehan Ara is also working on a project called the Women’s Virtual Network, which aims to connect educated women with possible employers, mentors, and peers over the internet to increase the number of Pakistani women in the workforce and promote the professional women’s network. Ara is also a vocal supporter of cyber freedom and net neutrality.

These women have worked hard to overcome cultural and misogynist barriers in their unique ways. Although this list is by no means comprehensive, our world is experiencing an increase in the number of women who are actively seeking improvement and equality in all areas.

However, as strong and talented women, these influential women serve as suitable role models for future generations of girls, women, and men. Women have become the leaders of tomorrow in a society that pushes them to sit down and be silent, and they deserve our admiration.

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